Her Brother

For the 2010 film, see Otōto (2010 film).

Her Brother
Original Japanese poster.
Directed byKon Ichikawa
Written byYōko Mizuki
Based onOtōto by Aya Koda
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKazuo Miyagawa
Edited byTatsuji Nakashizu
Music byYasushi Akutagawa
Production
company
Distributed byDaiei Film
Release date
  • 1 November 1960 (1960-11-01) (Japan)
[1]
Running time
97 minutes[1]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Her Brother (おとうと, Otōto, lit. "Younger brother") is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It is based on the novel Otōto by Aya Koda.[1][2][3]

Plot

In Taishō era Tokyo, 17-year-old Gen takes care of the household of her family due to her stepmother's rheumatism. Meanwhile, her younger brother Hekiro lives a carefree life, repeatedly getting into trouble and making gambling debts. Neither his stepmother interferes with his behaviour, nor does the detached father, a famous novelist. Only Gen scolds Hekiro from time to time, for which he ridicules her, although she is completely devoted to him. When Hekiro falls terminally ill with tuberculosis and is hospitalised, with his sister by his side every minute she can spare, he finally regrets his behaviour. After Hekiro's death, Gen collapses and is taken back home with anemia by the hospital personnel, but once she awakes, she returns to her role as the housekeeper without questioning.

Cast

Background

In order to achieve a desaturated look, the film made use of a cinematographic technique known as bleach bypass.[1] At the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, Her Brother received a special mention by the French association of image and sound technicians (CST).[4]

Reception

Akira Kurosawa cited Her Brother as one of his 100 favorite films.[5]

Awards (selected)

Her Brother was awarded several national film prizes, including:

  • Blue Ribbon Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography[2]
  • Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film and Best Director[6]
  • Mainichi Film Concour for Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction (Tomoo Shimogawara), and Best Actors (starring and supporting) Keiko Kishi, Kinuyo Tanaka, and Masayuki Mori[2]

Legacy

In later years, Her Brother has seen repeated screenings at festivals and film museums such as the Cinémathèque Française in 2008 and 2022,[7] the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015,[8] and the Museum of Modern Art in 2018.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "おとうと(1960)". Kinenote (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "おとうと" (in Japanese). Kotobank. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  3. ^ "おとうと" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Otohto". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  5. ^ Thomas-Mason, Lee (12 January 2021). "From Stanley Kubrick to Martin Scorsese: Akira Kurosawa once named his top 100 favourite films of all time". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Otōto: Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Tendre et folle adolescence". La Cinémathèque Française (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Ototo". Berlinale.de. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Otōto (Her Brother). 1960. Directed by Kon Ichikawa". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 27 June 2023.